


Wonderland

by darlingjegulus



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M, Reunions, Romantic Fluff, Sad with a Happy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:09:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26521939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlingjegulus/pseuds/darlingjegulus
Summary: In which Fred Weasley and Cedric Diggory are reunited in the afterlife following the Battle of Hogwarts.
Relationships: fred weasley/cedric diggory
Comments: 1
Kudos: 40
Collections: my works with fred weasley/cedric diggory





	Wonderland

The last thing he saw was the wall. Then, there was nothing. 

Nothing but light. 

Fred woke up here, confused and yet cautiously optimistic. He took the first few steps slowly before breaking into a much more brisk pace. Eyes widened, and something resembling a smile came onto his face. 

It wasn't like anything he had ever seen before. A completely blank space was not something that Fred, in particular, was used to. He had become accustomed to the screaming colors of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, the vibrant shades of orange and purple painted onto its walls. The chromatic spectrum found within their merchandise was overwhelming in the most beautiful way.  
And the quiet, that was something else entirely. Silence had never been Fred's thing. The customers in the shop were never very fond of it either. Young children ran around, weaving through much taller patrons, calling out to their friends whenever they saw something interesting.  
This, however, was beyond the normal hushed environment of a Hogwarts classroom. The only sounds came from the friction between his shoes and the floor, in addition to the gentle breaths being released from his lungs. 

Maybe Fred should have been more astounded by all this. But he wasn't. It was all new to him, but he was smart enough to know what it all meant. This was home now. 

The last thing he saw was the green flash. Then, there was nothing.

Nothing but light.

Cedric had arrived years before Fred, but it had been a similar experience for him. The only difference was that where Fred was fascinated, he was intimidated. 

When he arrived, he just stood still. He slowly started turning around, checking his surroundings. Fred was much quicker to accept different situations; Cedric was different. He had always been much more careful in life, and that would continue far into his death. His gaze drifted all over, noting every single spot he could. It was a meticulous search. Yet, it provided no answers.  
So he started walking. Forward was the only place to go, and thus that's where he went. Nervous looks were occasionally thrown over his shoulder. The maze had left an everlasting impression of fear and anxiousness. And the last words he had heard, they were still with him as well. Kill the spare. He had been the spare. Cedric was also acutely aware of what that meant. Harry was all alone with whomever, or whatever, had murdered him. Guilt consumed him.

Still, he kept walking. Until he just couldn't anymore. 

That's where their paths would cross again.

Fred continued forward until the emptiness formed into something. There's some shapes, some structures ahead. What he sees is still piercing white and exceptionally bright, but it's still something. There's a figure amongst these structures. He's sitting there, quietly.

It's Cedric, calm as he ever was. 

The structures had formed over the years since his arrival. This is the spot he had chosen to rest in after his feet had grown far too tired to take another step. He merely placed himself onto the ground and just rested there a while. It wasn't like he had anything better to do. 

It was then that he wished there was something more comfortable to rest on.

A bed rose from the ground, white to match the environment. So perfect it almost doesn't seem real. Though, from a certain perspective, that's because it wasn't. Not really. 

Cedric hesitated a moment before climbing in for the first time. It was quite funny; he was a boy who could make birds fly out from his wand, but a bed appearing from thin air made him apprehensive. Nonetheless, he clambered in and felt the tension release from his body.

He kept creating little things just like that. His mind would think of things he felt were important and moments later that thing became a reality. Over time, he had created his own small space. Somewhere that was comforting, something that reminded him a bit of being alive.

There was a compact building now: the place he called home. It had been created around the bed, and subsequently had been filled with other necessities.  
But he had created more than just a house. One step outside its door and there was a gorgeous garden equipped with a bench identical to the one you would see in a park. A little pond was there as well; even the water in its depth was white as if it were milk. Flowers surrounded both the pond and the bench. Luckily, they didn't need color to be beautiful.

Cedric was sitting on the bench when Fred approached. The latter wasn't entirely sure he should come closer. But, as always, he pushed doubt aside.  
More steps were taken. Each one became more confident than the last. 

Cedric took notice of him. He recognized the boy, not just by his flaming red hair, but by the way he walked, that certain posture he kept about him, the way he seemed to glide over the ground.  
He stands up and faces him. 

Fred stops a short distance away. His eyes look over the boy, from his tousled brunette locks down to his pristinely clean shoes. All that he is wearing is pure white, just like everything in the near vicinity. He's wearing a long sleeve shirt, the fabric hugging his figure close, as well as a simple pair of pants. The clothes are so clean, almost unbelievably clean. It's a stark contrast to what he had last been wearing whilst alive: the jersey of colors black and yellow, stained by dirt and blood. 

There's an ethereal beauty about him now. Even against the white background, he still stands out. 

Fred seals the space between them. The two are just inches from one another. 

Cedric is the first to speak.

"Why are you here?" His eyebrows furrow out of confusion. Nervous laughter exits Fred.

"I suppose it's because I'm dead."  
There's a hint of a smile on his lips. Whether it's genuine or based on anxiousness is indistinguishable to Cedric. Fred was always gifted in the arts of such trickery.

Cedric just shakes his head gently. A sad expression is forming.  
"You shouldn't be here, not this soon."

Fred steps closer and lifts his hands to cup the other's face. He tilts his face downward, presenting him with the perfect opportunity to flash his eyes at Cedric innocently. The corner of his mouth twitches into a tiny smirk.  
"Neither should you."

Finally smiling, Cedric moves to pull Fred into a tight hug, tighter than any hug he had ever given before. His fingers are digging into his shoulders. He rests his head up against the other's neck, easing into his touch. They stay like that for a while, just trying to make up for three years of lost time.

The hug is broken. Both return to standing in front of each other, eyes locked.

"I've been waiting for you. I just .. expected to be waiting quite a lot longer."

"This is not what I had planned, trust me. Not that I'm disappointed."

Cedric smiles again. This one is even bigger. He grabs Fred's hand and begins pacing backward towards the little house.  
"Come inside. I want to show you around."

The interior of the house has a plain elegance to it. There's only one floor. Cedric never built another level. It just wasn't necessary for him. 

One corner has his bed, the same one he had created the first day he arrived. Plenty of time to imagine a better one, maybe one more comfortable. But this one was too special to dispose of. A short distance away from that is a seating area. There's only one chair there; he hadn't been expecting any company. A closet is pushed up against the opposite side. Beside that is a line of counters, like you would find in a kitchen, only these contain a sink in the middle. Decorations line the walls and rest on the floor. A couple of paintings are hung; a tall vase filled with more flowers sits in the corner nearest the door. There's no color, but a good imagination can help in that regard.

Fred steps in and takes a brief look around the room and settles his eyes on the lone chair.  
"Have you been alone all this time?"

Cedric nods and moves towards that side of the room.  
"Yeah. Some other people have come passing through, but I didn't recognize them. They just kept moving on. Looking for somewhere else to stay, I guess."  
He stares back over at Fred before continuing. He's grinning.

"Hey, watch this."  
All his concentration is placed onto the idea of creating another chair. His eyes are closed, and when they open again, a chair identical to the first one has appeared. 

Fred is shocked. He strides over to the newest creation and rests his hand on its back, feeling it, trying to convince himself of its authenticity.  
"You can just make anything appear, just like that?" 

"You can. It's quite physically draining, though. Creating things constantly is impossible."

Smirking over at Cedric, Fred smugly responds, "Maybe you just haven't tried hard enough." That earns a playful eye roll.

"Trust me. Even the brilliant Fred Weasley couldn't do it. But I have an idea of how you can start practicing at it. New clothes wouldn't be such a bad idea for you." A glance is given to his battle-worn jacket, ripped at the sleeve. 

"I look dreadful compared to you."

"I wasn't going to say it exactly like that, but .. you could look better. Go ahead and wash up and meet me over by the closet."  
Fred gave him an obnoxious wink before going to follow those instructions.

"Just think about what you want to create and focus on it. I find it easier if I close my eyes. Plus, then it makes the reveal all the more exciting."

"Got it. Focus."

Fred's eyes slowly close and he releases an easy breath. All his concentration is placed into imagining a brand new set of clothes. Choosing what to create takes him a moment, but once he does, he smiles and starts making it a reality. 

It takes about half a minute, but eventually, Cedric breaks the silence. The tone in his voice is calm, but you can tell he's excited.  
"Open your eyes, Freddie."

In front of him is a pair of jeans and a comfortable sweater, just like the ones Mrs. Weasley made for him every Christmas. Seeing that brings a grin to his face. Cedric gazes to him, adoringly.  
"Get changed. I'll be waiting outside. We can go for a walk. I want to tell you everything."

The house got smaller and smaller as they kept moving forward. 

Hands are intertwined. Cedric grips onto Fred tight like he's afraid that if he lets go, the boy will disappear. The redhead rests his cheek onto Cedric's shoulder.

"I think what surprised me most was that .. aging doesn't stop up here. The Hogwarts ghosts always stayed the same age they were when they died, so I assumed that's what would happen to me. But it's completely different up here."  
He even laughs, chin tilting upward.

"We're not ghosts. We're much more real than that. At least, that's what I've learned in my time here. I try my best to keep track of the days. Give it my best estimate, you know. That way I can celebrate things like my birthday or Christmas." 

Fred doesn't bother saying anything. He's just enjoying hearing that voice again. 

"Do you know what else I've learned?"

"What?"

Cedric looks forward, face returning to a neutral state.

"You don't have to stay here. You can leave whenever you'd like. I saw this old man once, maybe about a year ago. He didn't come very close to me. Still, I could see what he was doing. He just stood there for a minute and then .. disappeared."

Fred lifts his head off and turns.  
"So, it's a choice. You could've done that, but you stayed."

Cedric once again nods, biting his lip.  
"Yeah. I considered leaving a few times. The thought of you always stopped me."

Fred chuckles.  
"I guess it's a good thing I died so early then. You might've tried to kill me a second time if I had you waiting until we were 150 years old."

It was a funny thing to be thankful for, a young death. 

"Sorry for all the questions, I'm a bit new to this whole afterlife thing. Just one more for now. If that old man would have stayed, would he just keep getting older?"

"I believe so. It might be pretty entertaining to see."

Fred slips his hand out of Cedric's and moves it to wrap around his waist.  
"You'll be a handsome old man. Me on the other hand... I think I'll look dreadful. If I end up looking like Aunt Muriel, I'll disappear straight away, no questions."

Cedric stops walking, bringing Fred to a halt with him. It takes everything in him to stop from beaming, a rush of giddiness flowing over him.  
"Are you saying you want to grow old together?"

Fred doesn't even try to contain his joy. He shows off a huge smile, the kind that only Cedric and George were able to get out of him. There's no hesitation in what he does next. He reaches for Cedric's face and holds him tenderly, bringing his lips to his. They can feel each other melting. 

The kiss is broken, but Fred doesn't remove his hands. They stay there, thumbs brushing over his cheeks.

"I want to live life with you. I want to watch us grow up, the way we were supposed to down there. And when we've had enough, when after that time, you finally get sick of my stupid jokes, we can move on to whatever comes next."

It's Cedric that kisses him this time.

The walk takes them further out until there's nothing in sight, no buildings, the house nowhere close. Not a single other person is in sight. 

It's just them and a huge blank canvas.

"We can build our own world here," Cedric says softly, admiring the space.

"I can imagine it now. A house ten times as big as the one you had back there. Maybe even bigger, if we're feeling ambitious. A bunch of different levels, not just one floor. I want to build something that would put the Malfoy Manor to shame."

He takes a deep breath, smiling as he dreams of everything that could happen.  
"A castle made for kings."

Cedric shifts his head, studying his lover.  
"Are we kings, Freddie?"

That gets a cocky appearance from Fred.  
"Damn right we are, and no one is here to tell us otherwise. It's just like you said; we'll build our own world. Something just for the two of us."

They both take a few steps forward. Fred has that classic gleam of enthusiasm in his eyes. Cedric looks more confident now than he had ever looked before, even in life. 

Their fingers slide back together. Squeezing hard, each comforting the other.

"Ready?"  
"Ready."


End file.
